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GoldSpot Media has introduced the miApp platform, a web-based design and drop software used to create ad campaigns and deploy them across various mobile app stores simultaneously. The program enables publishers to create, update and manage apps and advertising without prior coding knowledge. Each app the user makes can utilize ad formats such as video, in-app, in-stream, and custom call-to-action ad units.

Aquafadas has released v2.0 of its banner animation software, BannerZest. The application is used to design website banners and export them in suitable formats. The latest release features 10 new banner themes, three of which are exclusive to the Pro version of the program. Theme presets have been added giving users the opportunity to chose standardized sizes for their banners.

Projecturf has announced it will update its collaboration and project management software with the upcoming release Projecturf 2.0 later in this quarter. The software features business-class reports that track projects start-to-finish with live progress updates. It also offers unlimited storage for any paid plan. Each plan is fully featured, with price points differing relative to the number of expected projects generated at any given time. Nightly back-up and SSL security keep data safe on the Projecturf servers.

Sassafras has released v6.2 of K2 KeyAuditor & KeyServer, its software package used to manage software licenses. The latest version adds new measurement metrics into application usage tracking so that re-allocation of unused software licenses can become fully automatic based on usage patterns. This streamlines app re-allocation, removing various manual tasks from the process. The tracking data can be displayed in reports for trend analysis, migration planning and for license contract renewal negotiations.

An early look at the Motorola Cliq suggests that the device may be heavily flawed if released in its current state. Having obtained a pre-release unit, BGR notes that the MOTOBLUR interface at the heart of the phone is a flawed concept and makes it "even more difficult" to handle social networking than on a regular Android phone. Besides only supporting a small number of updates at a time, the feature doesn't allow manual updates or even contextual options.

MacNN has reviewed the updated iGroove SXT Dock Speaker. The portable iPod speaker system is shaped like a boombox and weighs just over three pounds. It features a simple remote control, good sound and a video-out port for watching videos from separate displays. It can dock and charge any iPod or iPhone with a 30-pin connector.

AT&T on Friday accused Google of running against net neutrality principles with its Google Voice service. A letter sent to the FCC by the carrier claims that the service would technically violate the terms of the FCC's existing Internet Policy Statement, as well as proposed formal rules, as it deliberately blocks calls made through the phone gateway to certain rural numbers to save Google money. That unfairly discriminates against AT&T and other conventional carriers that are required to allow those calls, the message read.

The Palm Pre smartphone is now being offered for $100, its lowest price thus far. The device launched at $199 on a two-year contract from wireless provider Sprint, with Amazon now selling the handset on its site for the record-low price. As always, to qualify for the $100 price, a new two-year contract from Sprint is required.

Sager has released its first Core i7-powered gaming notebook, the 15.6-inch NP8690. The hardware maker is touting the portable PC as the world's most powerful gaming notebook of its size, with 1.6GHz, 1.73GHz or 2GHz quad-core CPUs; RAM is limited to a maximum of 4GB, however. The screen can be had with the standard 1600x900 resolution or a higher 1920x1080. Graphics are handled by NVIDIA's high-end GeForce GTX 280M. Security is also in place through a fingerprint scanner.

Tapulous has finally submitted Tap Tap Revenge 3 iPhone app to Apple for approval, according to the Business Insider. The update will be a major revision to the company's popular music game inspired by console hits such as Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution. The series has achieved more than 15 million total downloads, spread across 11 million unique users.

Sony today revealed that it has scrapped its UMD conversion plan for those upgrading to the PSP Go. The handheld maker told Kotaku that "legal and technical reasons" have prevented it from giving free PSN downloads to owners that can prove they have UMD copies of their games. It hasn't said what these reasons are or how likely it is that an alternative will be available in the future.

Samsung's recently launched Instinct HD handset is now being offered by Best Buy Mobile for less than the $250 price that Sprint is charging. The electronics retailer prices the Instinct HD at $200 after a two-year activation and instant rebates.

As part of its ongoing attempt to expand the wireless spectrum for its national broadband plan, the FCC has now opened comments to the public asking whether the so-called "prime bands" below 3.7GHz, considered ideal for wireless data and video, are sufficient for the near- and long-term demands of wireless broadband. The FCC seeks to get information from industry players by October 23rd regarding the ability of the current spectrum to support future build-outs and which bands are best suited for mobile or fixed wireless broadband.

Rumors that Verizon is dropping the Pre aren't accurate, according to a note from Deutsche Bank today. The institution cites "checks" that have another version of the Pre still being built that should be destined for the CDMA carrier. There is also "healthy carrier demand" for Palm's phones on other networks if Sprint's exclusive is finished by early 2010.

Hasselblad chose Friday to unveil a long-in-progress upgrade to its H System medium format cameras. The H4D is billed as one of the first cameras to have a true off-center autofocus system, known as True Focus. Where even DSLRs often have to first focus and then reposition the camera to get focus significantly away from the center, the H4D has a yaw rate sensor that can detect the horizontal and vertical movement away from the focus point and refocus the lens to compensate.

AT&T on Friday enabled MMS functionality for iPhone customers, after a long wait and a range of criticism. Users can enable the messaging service after downloading a carrier settings update via iTunes and then rebooting the iPhone. The update is expected to be gradually deployed through the day, helping to prevent network strain as users flood the servers with the first messages.

Apple may be set to release an update to its entry-level MacBook sooner than analysts initially anticipated, an unnamed source told Apple Insider. Several recent reports suggest the company is preparing to launch new MacBooks and iMacs.

Research in Motion's stock fell a sharp 19 percent on Friday in a reaction to the company's mixed performance in its latest quarter. Investors were upset with both the steep quarter-to-quarter drop in net profit as well as a relatively conservative outlook that saw its own estimates only slightly above what it managed during the summer. Analysts had been expecting much higher numbers with the usual fall sales spike and new BlackBerries known to be in the pipeline.

Maker of ultra exclusive handsets, Vertu, has recently added a new handset model to its Constellation lineup, the Ayxta. The flip phone features Vertu's Concierge service, with a shortcut button that connects users to an agent who will assist callers with any requests or questions they have. There is also Vertu Select, or an online service that provides travelers with "lifestyle information," which includes a listing of the trendiest bars, restaurants, exhibitions, shopping, clubs and more in a given city, anywhere in the world.

AT&T is currently offering refurbished iPhone 3G handsets starting at $49 for the 8GB model. Customers can also purchase the 16GB variant for $99. The deal still requires a two-year service agreement and a $30/month data package.

Sony will bring 250GB versions of its new slim PlayStation 3 gaming console to the UK, bundled with various video games and Blu-ray movies, Pocket-lint reported on Friday. Priced at the equivalent of $455, there will be one bundle that includes FIFA 10 and another one with Need for Speed: Shift. On October 1st, more bundles will be introduced, including with two various Platinum titles and one with the open-world game inFamous.

JVC has introduced its latest digital camcorder first in Japan, the PICSIO GC-FM1. The company's first attempt at a pocket camera like the Flip, it measures just 5.8 by 2 by inches in size but packs an 8-megapixel still photo sensor that records video at 2.03 megapixels. The latter gives it 4:3 ratio 1080p (1440x1080) video at 30 frames per second in the H.264 (AVCHD) format on SD and SDHC memory cards. The GC-FM1 sports a 2-inch LCD screen, while an HDMI output lets users view their videos on HDTVs at full resolution.

TomTom has announced official pricing for its upcoming iPhone car kit, which complements the company's GPS app. The accessory will be available for 100 EUR overseas or $120 in the US market. The price does not include the TomTom app, which is available with US and Canadian base maps for $100.

Palm's webOS 1.2 may not show until next week but could come with iTunes syncing back in place, a supposed leak from a source says. Sprint's own need to test the revamped App Catalog is said to have triggered a short delay and forced Palm to move to 1.2.1 instead. However, it's now said by the PreCentral contact that the software will give the Pre native sync for the first time in iTunes 9.

Despite a report of NVIDIA's 40nm GeForce 300 series GPUs facing a possible delay until 2010, the card is currently at the tape out (initial silicon production stage), Fudzilla reported on Friday. Codenamed GT300, it was was originally believed to be going on sale in October and may still reach the target if all goes smoothly during testing. The DirectX 11-capable card has already been seen by key industry people, and if the tape out began in early September, it could be shipping by middle or late October.

The European carrier O2 has denied involvement in delaying approval of an iPhone app, 0870, that assists customers with avoiding call fees, according to Guardian Technology. The application is designed to find standard land-line alternatives for businesses using numbers beginning with 084 or 087, which bring additional per-minute charges above the standard rates for the wireless contract.

Verizon on Thursday took preemptive action and paid the music royalty group ASCAP $4.99 million as an "interim" license for cellular ringtones on its V CAST service. The payment covers all ringtones bought since November 11th 2004 and is meant to temporarily settle the issue until the two settle a dispute over how much Verizon owes, if at all, for the short samples. It's unclear if the payment is reversible.

Honda this week introduced a unique personal mobility device, the U3-X. The device enables the rider to travel in all directions -- touted as a world-first -- with a balancing system that was developed during the human-like ASIMO robot. The ball-like wheel also allows for direct sideways motion, or diagonal movement. Honda calls this its Honda Omni Traction Drive System, or HOT Drive System for short.

Recordare has released an update to its Finale plug-in, Dolet. Version 5 adds support for Finale 2010, including the Broadway Copyist font family. The update also improves support for Sibelius 6 features including feathered beaming, jazz articulations, and German chord symbols. The plug-in provides advanced MusicXML 2.0 features such as part name accidentals and per-part measure numbering, while importation of cutaway staves and nested tuplets has been improved.

Canon's rumored replacement for the Rebel XS, the Rebel T1, gained support today through a new rumor. Although conflicting rumors had the camera launching earlier this year, a new and more detailed tip for Canon Rumors says the camera is "very close" to a launch and will be an unusual hybrid of older and newer technology. It would use the DIGIC 4 processor of most modern Canon cameras but use the 12-megapixel sensor of the older Rebel XSi.

The latest report on the Chinese iPhone launch suggests the device will be offered for a meager sum of 126 yuan (~$18.45 USD) per month with the most affordable plan and a two-year service contract, according to the Xinhua News Agency. The information allegedly comes from an unnamed insider at China Unicom.

Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer said in an interview late Thursday that Apple is unlikely to ever control the smartphone market the way it does portable media players. The executive argued that the sheer scale of the phone market, which could amount to almost 1.3 billion devices this year, made it impossible for any one hardware company to take control. Apple's lead in media players was possible only because it participated in a niche, he added, and the company has usually never had more than a niche position in larger markets.

Nintendo added more fuel to its Wii price cut on Friday by promising a special version of its Wii Sports Resort bundle with added hardware. The Limited Edition pack adds a second MotionPlus peripheral and matching Wii remote jacket to give a second controller the extra precision in movement needed for this and other newer Wii games. The new bundle helps players get started in an already multiplayer-focused game.

Boomwave and iPhone CAZE have both launched new iPhone 3G and 3GS protective cases: the Boomwave KLIPS Series and the iPhone CAZE Argyle Love. The KLIPS Series delivers a slim polycarbonate hard-case with a form-fitting design and glossy finish. It protects against bumps, scrapes or scratches, and includes a screen protector and free clear polycarbonate case with each purchase. The Klips series come in a variety of different styles ranging from Skull Black to Tribe White, as well as BloodBone Black, Flos Black, Flos White and Vector Black.

Werck BV has launched a major upgrade to its Mac-only point-of-sale software, Checkpoint 3. The app delivers tools for managing inventory stocks and can be used to handle a variety of cashier tasks including sales, receipts and invoices. The latest version offers a re-designed product manager, several function and performance improvements, and a new EnStore pay-as-you-go web store for Canada and the US. For simpler item management users can now add barcodes to products, which can be printed on either Avery or Dymo labels.

FirmTek has introduced Snow Leopard-compatible versions of its SeriTek/2SE2-E and the SeriTek/2SM2-E storage adapters; the adapters are used to add external eSATA ports to any Mac, offering speeds twice as fast as FireWire 800 connections. The SeriTek/2SE2-E ExpressCard, a two-port SATA II controller, supports hot-swap FirmTek enclosures. Using the new FirmTek 5.4.x driver makes both adapters compatible with Apple's new Snow Leopard operating system.

Bombich Software has released v3.3 of his flagship application, Carbon Copy Cloner, which is used to backup a users' files. The latest version supports Mac OS X Snow Leopard and preserves HFS+ filesystem compression data during backups. The backup process is enhanced to better save a large number of files with extended attributes and features a "bootability" notification that informs users when a target volume's disk is not partitioned with the Apple-recommended GUID or APM partition scheme.

Griffin Technology has announced it's expanding the line of protective cases for the iPhone 3G and 3GS with additional patterns and hard cases. The company's Elan Form Etch cases which are made from a combination of leather bonded to a polycarbonate inner shell will be available in four additional patterns including Solstice Taupe, Stars, Chess Taupe, Rewind, 405 and Vintage Brown. Each case also comes with the EasyDock design that enables users dock the iPhone without having to remove it from the case.

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Cirrus creates Lightning-headphone dev kit

Apple supplier Cirrus Logic has introduced a MFi-compliant new development kit for companies interested in using Cirrus' chips to create Lightning-based headphones, which -- regardless of whether rumors about Apple dropping the analog headphone jack in its iPhone this fall -- can offer advantages to music-loving iOS device users. The kit mentions some of the advantages of an all-digital headset or headphone connector, including higher-bitrate support, a more customizable experience, and support for power and data transfer into headphone hardware. Several companies already make Lightning headphones, and Apple has supported the concept since June 2014. http://bit.ly/29giiZj

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Apple Store app offers Procreate Pocket

The Apple Store app for iPhone, which periodically rewards users with free app gifts, is now offering the iPhone "Pocket" version of drawing app Procreate for those who have the free Apple Store app until July 28. Users who have redeemed the offer by navigating to the "Stores" tab of the app and swiping past the "iPhone Upgrade Program" banner to the "Procreate" banner have noted that only the limited Pocket (iPhone) version of the app is available free, even if the Apple Store app is installed and the offer redeemed on an iPad. The Pocket version currently sells for $3 on the iOS App Store. [32.4MB]

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Porsche adds CarPlay to 2017 Panamera

Porsche has added a fifth model of vehicle to its CarPlay-supported lineup, announcing that the 2017 Panamera -- which will arrive in the US in January -- will include Apple's infotainment technology, and be seen on a giant 12.3-inch touchscreen as part of an all-new Porsche Communication Management system. The luxury sedan starts at $99,900 for the 4S model, and scales up to the Panamera Turbo, which sells for $146,900. Other vehicles that currently support CarPlay include the 2016 911 and the 2017 models of Macan, 718 Boxster, and 718 Cayman. The company did not mention support for Google's corresponding Android Auto in its announcement. http://bit.ly/295ZQ94

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Apple employees testing wheelchair features

New features included in the forthcoming watchOS 3 are being tested by Apple retail store employees, including a new activity-tracking feature that has been designed with wheelchair users in mind. The move is slightly unusual in that, while retail employees have previously been used to test pre-release versions of OS X and iOS, this marks the first time they've been included in the otherwise developer-only watchOS betas. The company is said to have gone to great lengths to modify the activity tracker for wheelchair users, including changing the "time to stand" notification to "time to roll" and including two wheelchair-centric workout apps. http://bit.ly/2955JDa

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SanDisk reveals two 256GB microSDXC cards

SanDisk has introduced two 256GB microSDXC cards. Arriving in August for $150, the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card offers transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s for reading data. The Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card can read at a fast 100MB/s and write at up to 90MB/s, and will be shipping sometime in the fourth quarter for $200. http://bit.ly/294Q1If

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Apple's third-quarter results due July 26

Apple has advised it will be issuing its third-quarter results on July 26, with a conference call to answer investor and analyst queries about the earnings set to take place later that day. The stream of the call will go live at 2pm PT (5pm ET) via Apple's investor site, with the results themselves expected to be released roughly 30 minutes before the call commences. Apple's guidance for the quarter put revenue at between $41 billion and $43 billion. http://apple.co/1oi1Pbm

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Twitter stickers slowly roll out to users

Twitter has introduced "stickers," allowing users to add extra graphical elements to their photos before uploading them to the micro-blogging service. A library of hundreds of accessories, props, and emoji will be available to use as stickers, which can be resized, rotated, and placed anywhere on the photograph. Images with stickers will also become searchable with viewers able to select a sticker to see how others use the same graphic in their own posts. Twitter advises stickers will be rolling out to users over the next few weeks, and will work on both the mobile apps and through the browser. http://bit.ly/29bbwUE